KINGWOOD, W.Va. — Health officials in Preston County have reported a COVID-19 outbreak traced to travelers to and from Myrtle Beach.
“Over the course of the last 48-hours we have a total of eight individuals that have tested positive for the coronavirus,” Preston County Health Department Administrator V.J. Davis said Wednesday. “All eight of those individuals have recently returned from a trip to Myrtle Beach.”
Davis said vacation trips to crowded area such as beaches are very risky due to the amount of people and the difficulty to social distance.
“We would like to ask all Preston County residents that have traveled back from Myrtle Beach, any other beach, or any crowed vacation destination in the last 2 weeks to please keep others in mind and self quarantine for 14 days upon return. If self quarantine is not possible, please limit your exposure to other to the bare minimum and wear a face covering if in public or around others,” a Wednesday news release from the health department said.
Unconfirmed reports indicate the outbreak was discovered this week when one of the teens tested COVID-19 positive prior to a minor medical procedure. Now, contact tracers and testing are leading the response to the outbreak.
“Our main concern is what those individuals do when they come back and how much community spread that creates in the county,” Davis said. “That might be something that shows up for a few days or even a week from now.”
Davis urges anyone in Myrtle Beach, or another vacation destination, or if you’re planning to travel be very careful.
“When you go to a situation like a beach you’re going to be around people from all over the country, possibly all over the world,” Davis said. “This is a virus that you have no idea of knowing who has it and who doesn’t have it.”
According to Davis, because people can be asymptomatic returning home from vacation is a critical time to do the right thing.
“Be careful when you come back,” David said. “Either quarantine yourself for 14-days or if that’s not possible at least limit yourself to the number of people you expose yourself to over the next couple weeks.”
Davis said as news travels through Preston County and neighboring areas more people will be become concerned. He said that’s a normal reaction.
“Medical advice we try not to give as a health department,” Davis said. “So, we’ll tell them to contact their doctor or the hospital to see if they need to be tested or not.”